The present invention relates to a copying apparatus which forms a color image by superimposing a plurality of images. More specifically, the present invention relates to a copying apparatus which forms marks for image adjustment.
Generally, in copying apparatus having a color print function, images in the colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) are formed respectively and superimposed on each other to form a color image. In order to thus form a color image, a plurality of images must be superimposed, so that image adjustment is performed in the copying apparatus so as to prevent the positions and densities of the respective images from being deviated from each other. As steps of image adjustment, for example, a resist pattern as an image pattern for image adjustment is formed for each color, and deviations (adjustment values) between a resist pattern in a reference color and resist patterns in colors to be examined are acquired, and based on the adjustment values, the position deviations of the images in the colors to be examined are corrected.
In a copying apparatus which forms image patterns for image adjustment, during execution of image adjustment including formation of the image patterns, print processing for printing a read image cannot be executed. Therefore, if the image adjustment is, for example, started after an image is read, the start of print processing may be delayed. Therefore, for example, a related image forming device starts execution of image adjustment in response to an operation expected to execute printing before accepting a print command.